24 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

In Poland, a 45-meter-long mysterious tunnel found under the ruins of the Saxon Palace

A mysterious underground tunnel was found under the ruins of the Saski Palace in Pilsudski Square in Warsaw, the capital and largest city of Poland. Archaeologists excavating the ruins of Saxon Palace uncovered a secret tunnel about 13 feet down (4 meters).

This unexpected find unsurprisingly sparked intrigue among historians and locals alike, as the tunnel does not exist in any known configuration plans of the palace.

Archaeological work currently being carried out on the site of the former Saxon Palace will continue until the end of 2023 and ultimately cover an area of approximately 4,500 square meters.

The Saxon Palace, historically significant and once resplendent, was a grand fixture of Warsaw’s architecture before being tragically destroyed during World War II. It played an important role in Polish history, making this recent discovery even more intriguing.

Saski Palace spokesperson Slawomir Kulinski said that the Polish Army headquarters command was located there, and military intelligence was located on the southern wing. “The tunnel was to allow them to quickly transmit reports and information,” he said.

A tunnel the ruins of the Saski Palace. Photo: PAP

“The tunnel also had technical functions. It contained a telegraph cable and a system of heating and irrigation pipes on both sides of the palace,” he explained.

The tunnel was built in the 1930s specifically for military intelligence. It is about 45 meters long. The brick for the construction of the tunnel was supplied by the Wawrzyna brickyard, as evidenced by the brand marks on the bricks. On the fresh plaster, an unknown builder scratched the date 1933 and an eagle without a crown.

“Obviously, we are dealing with a legionary eagle, typical of the 1930s and military functions,” Kulinsky said. Another eagle, similar but smaller, is located in a third of the length of the tunnel.

The tunnel leads to the cellars of the Morshtyn period in the southern part of the Saskia Palace. There were once storerooms here, and during the interwar period, messengers ran to the generals with military intelligence reports.

The area around Brühl’s Palace, blown up in 1944 during the demolition of Warsaw, was cleared only to the ground level after World War II.  The rest of the rubble was leveled, and the area became a lawn, which over time became overgrown with trees and shrubs. With the exception of a tiny fragment of one of the annexes (from the side of the Saxon Garden) that archaeologists examined in 2006, the majority of this area’s contents have remained a mystery for nearly 80 years.

At the beginning of June 2023, fieldwork began to unravel this mystery. First, the area was fenced off, then checked by sappers for the presence of unexploded ordnance. Archaeologists are currently working there.

So far, nearly 46,000 artifacts have been excavated from the rubble, including coins, ornaments, medallions, and vessels with decorations or manufacturer’s signatures.

PAP

Related Articles

A 900-year-old Crusader sword was found by a diver off Israel’s Carmen coast

18 October 2021

18 October 2021

A meter-long sword dating back to the Crusader period was found by an amateur diver on the seabed off the...

Oldest Known Human Viruses Discovered In 50,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Remains

15 May 2024

15 May 2024

Researchers from the Federal University of São Paulo have managed to uncover the oldest known human viruses in a set...

Unveiling a Roman Settlement Beyond the Empire: New Discoveries in Delbrück-Bentfeld, Germany

6 April 2025

6 April 2025

Recent archaeological excavations in Delbrück-Bentfeld, located in northwestern Germany, have revealed significant evidence of a Roman settlement that existed beyond...

Mosaics found in Türkiye’s Sinop belong to dining room of a wealthy family

24 June 2023

24 June 2023

The pebble mosaics unearthed during the excavation of a building complex in the province of Sinop on Turkey’s Black Sea...

Małopolskie Region Reveals Oldest Evidence of Metal Mining in Poland, Dating Back 1,000 Years Earlier Than Previously Thought

16 February 2025

16 February 2025

Researchers have uncovered the oldest confirmed evidence of metal ore mining and metallurgy in Poland through the study of lead...

Beehives of Saudi Arabia’s Thought to be Over 1,000 Years Old

20 July 2024

20 July 2024

Located in the majestic Sarawat Mountain range in western Saudi Arabia, the ancient beehives in the Maysan Governorate constitute a...

The first ivory work of art recovered from the World Heritage cave Hohle Fels was believed to be a horse – until archaeologists made a new discovery-

30 July 2023

30 July 2023

For more than 20 years, the first ivory work of art recovered from the World Heritage cave Hohle Fels was...

A stone bathtub, which is considered to be the first example of ‘water birth’, was found in Ani Ruins

7 September 2022

7 September 2022

A stone tub was found in the large bath, whose birth was mentioned in a work by the Turkish scholar...

Women buried with thick twisted bronze neck rings and buckets on their feet found in Ukraine

20 January 2024

20 January 2024

Archaeologists discovered the remains of men buried with weapons such as axes, spearheads, and swords, and women buried with thick...

The unknown importance of Göllü Dağ on the route of the first humans’ Transition from Africa to Europe

4 October 2021

4 October 2021

The researches conducted in Göllü Dağ and its surroundings, located within the borders of Niğde province in Central Anatolia, and...

An Elamite inscription attributed to Xerxes the Great was found at Persepolis

26 February 2022

26 February 2022

During the classification and documentation project of inscribed objects and fragmentary inscriptions in the Persepolis Museum reserves, experts discovered a...

In Russia, archaeologists 2100-Year-Old Medallion of Goddess Aphrodite and a warrior tomb unearthed

30 October 2022

30 October 2022

Archaeologists have unearthed a silver medallion depicting the Greek goddess Aphrodite (Roma Venüs) in a 2100-year-old grave of a priestess...

2,500-Year-Old Burial Site in Negev Highlands Reveals Ancient Trade Routes and Evidence of Human Trafficking

5 February 2025

5 February 2025

The Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Wednesday the discovery of a 2,500-year-old burial site in the Negev Highlands. This significant...

A gilded silver Anglo-Saxon object “made by someone with a real eye for loveliness” has the experts baffled

2 January 2024

2 January 2024

An enigmatic Anglo-Saxon object has been unearthed in a captivating discovery near Langham, Norfolk, East of England. This gilded silver...

The Mysterious Prehistoric Underwater Structure Beneath Lake Michigan

6 February 2024

6 February 2024

A prehistoric structure reminiscent of England’s iconic Stonehenge has been uncovered in Grand Traverse Bay, an arm of Lake Michigan...